Simon Crean (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

I have had a number of letters written to me by members from the other side of the House asking why the EMDG payment is so poor in terms of the second tranche. I say the reason is simple: the previous Liberal government paid lip-service to the importance of the scheme and even went about changing the guidelines but was not prepared to commit any resources to it. So, when you ask why there is no money, blame the former Liberal government. It is as simple as that: blame the former Liberal and National Party government. They had a minister that knew it was important to put extra money in. He was in the newspaper as saying that he was trying to argue for that extra funding but he could not win it.

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